Summer is a juggling act at my house. My study is reserved for writing, but the rest of the house is taken over by family who enjoy life at the beach. I trip over surf boards, kayaks, PDFs. sand toys, goggle sand fins, but everyone is old enough to get their own breakfast, so I am left alone all morning. The mad press of family has slackened now, and they are off to other local spots. Bless them all.

I signed a contract with Camel Press (Coffeetown Press) for another three books in The British Book Tour Mysteries series written as Emma Dakin. That will keep me busy for a few years. It isn’t just writing, as most of you know, it’s research, that endless rabbit hole of investigation, that urge to find out exactly what time sunset is in Edinburgh in May or if Mary King’s Close will take my protagonist to Waverley Station or leave her in someone’s back garden. Then, there’s promotion which takes time to write and the emails from wonderful readers that I need to answer. I’m looking forward to it all.

As Marion McKinnon Crook, I signed a contract with Heritage House Press (Victoria) for a non-fiction book Pack a Candle: A Nurse in the Cariboo which is the story of my early practice as a public health nurse. Newly graduated from Seattle University, I dropped into the vast logging and ranching country of the Cariboo country of British Columbia, well-educated but naive. It was a fascinating time full of surprises, intriguing characters and dangerous roads. I’m happy the book will be published next spring. More on it as it gets nearer production.

Crime in Cornwall The British Book Tour Mysteries Book II has a release date of October 6, 2020. The cover by Teresa Hanson is beautiful. I took the photo of Fowey that she painted from, so it brings back memories for me. It is a typical scene of the Cornish coast where this story takes place. The book will go on a virtual tour in November. I’ll put out more information on that on future newsletters.

Covid19 has not impacted my writing but it certainly impacts my promotion. The big draw at my British Book Tour launches is the cake. How do you have a launch without cake? Last launch it was Victorian Sponge Cake. Quite a hit. I was thinking of Eccles or Bakewell Slice. Unfortunately, there won’t be cake unless the six-feet apart rule is no longer necessary. I am trying to work out with my Writers’ Union and local library how we can manage a virtual launch. Tricky, but possible. But, no cake.

I hope the summer goes well for everyone. My outrigger paddling crew have switched to kayaks as it is impossible to stay six feet apart in an outrigger. At least we are getting out on the ocean. It’s beautiful here.